The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder impingement and bicipital tendinitis with degenerative changes is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that this rating was not appropriate given the current level of disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner noted that the Veteran’s range of motion did not warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5201 and there were no other conditions or pathologies with respect to the right shoulder that would justify a separate rating.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder impingement, bicipital tendinitis, degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003203
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20003203.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on his lumbar spine disability, right leg radiculopathy, and scars are being remanded due to procedural errors. The VA will need to correct these issues before the claims can be reconsidered.
- Granted
The Veteran's left shoulder degenerative arthritis and right shoulder impingement are rated at 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively. The decision grants these ratings.
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